Victoria’s premier has apologized for having to extend tough lock down conditions in Melbourne for six more weeks as Australia’s second largest city works to contain the second wave of Covid-19 cases that has caused 646 deaths to date.
Stage-four restrictions in Melbourne, which include a night-time curfew, will be extended for two weeks to 28 September. The curfew, travel limits, and some other elements of stage four will then remain in place until 26 October.
Stage four was originally meant to end on 13 September. The extension will include some minor changes. From midnight next Sunday, Andrews said, the curfew would start at 9pm instead of 8pm, and people who live on their own would be able to have one guest in their home, extending the rules for intimate partner visits to one friend or family member.
The daily exercise limit will also be extended from one hour to two hours.
If daily case numbers fell to an average of between 50 and 30 a day by 28 September, Andrews said, public outdoor gatherings would be able to increase from two people to five people from two households. Schools would also return from grades prep to two and also years 10, 11, and 12 for VCE and Vcal studies. Childcare would reopen, as would a number of industries.
